| ABSTRACT | To contribute to the regional ecosystem and climate research, the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS-METU) set up a long term monitoring program for the Eastern Mediterranean. This program is being carried out under DEKOSIM (Centre for Marine Ecosystem and Climate Research). DEKOSIM is an interdisciplinary centre of excellence funded by the Turkish Ministry of Development, established at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the Middle East Technical University located on the Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The main objective is to create an infrastructure that focuses on interdisciplinary research linking physical, chemical, biological and geological marine research. The majority of the IMS-METU academic staff as well as several researchers from other national institutions have contributed to the program. With 40 years experience in marine research in the Mediterranean and Black Sea the IMS-METU through DEKOSIM aims to become a marine research centre serving all national and international researchers in the marine ecosystem and climate fields.
DEKOSIM consists of two main frameworks: Long term monitoring systems and a marine science laboratory. The long term monitoring system involves the deployment of 4 Argo floats in the Black Sea and 2 Argo floats in the Eastern Mediterranean, one coastal mooring system with both surface and underwater sensors to obtain continuous oceanographic, meteorological and atmospheric measurements in the Eastern Mediterranean situated offshore IMS-METU Campus and another in the Black Sea situated offshore Sinop. The marine science laboratory will comprise several laboratories including, genetics, fisheries, chemistry, geophysics and computer cluster branches.
The Mediterranean mooring system was recently set up about 5 nm off the IMS-METU Campus at about 100 meters water depth. The underwater sensors of the system are; T, S, DO, Chl, Tur at near surface, T,S,P at 10 meters, T,S at 20, 30 and 75 meters, T,S,DO at 50 and 100 meters. A 300kHz ADCP will be deployed under the buoy. All the data from underwater sensors are transferred to the buoy via inductive modems. The meteorological equipment and daily data telemetry via GPRS are provided by Turkish Met Office.
Based on the time series measurements since 1997, a new time series project, Erdemli Time Series (ETS) has been started in the Eastern Mediterranean. Along a section of 10 nm, at 8 stations of 20, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 meter water depths, the physical parameters (T, S, DO, Chl, Tur, Par, Sechi Disk) are measured weekly and biochemical parameters monthly. As the profile crosses the main Eastern Mediterranean water current, the weekly ADCP measurements provide important information about the currents and the suspended materials. These data are analysed to understand the long-term variability (including the climate effect) in the region.
In the long run DEKOSIM aims to develop and to test analysis systems for the synoptic description of the environmental status of Turkish coastal waters including the Mediterranean, Marmara and the Black Seas. DEKOSIM also aims to provide knowledge transfer tools to assist authorities and other stakeholders to manage routine tasks and evaluate trends. |